In secret kept, In silence sealed
by MadMooMe
Summary: Post season one- Hell's Kitchen should have been enjoying it's freedom now that the Kingpin of Crime was behind bars, but as the saying goes 'when you cut off one head, another grows back in it's place'.
1. Chapter 1

**This is written for no other reason than for a bit of fun**

* * *

 **Somewhere upstate**

Art dealer Vanessa Marianna sat in a high back chair opposite an elderly woman. She leaned forward taking a delicate hold of a china teacup and watched the rock on her wedding finger sparkle in the afternoon light.

"You're looking well today" she commented to the woman while taking a sip of the tea.

"It's so nice of you to come and visit me dear" the woman replied lifting her own cup to her lips.

Vanessa smiled kindly and took a moment to study the elderly lady who would soon be her mother-in-law. Mrs Vistain did indeed look well. The routine weekly visits had been very hit and miss. Some days the older woman would regale tales of Wilson Fisk's youth, giving Vanessa some precious second hand memories of the man she loved. Other days her failing mind reduced the visits to repeated introductions, weather reports and statements about the décor of the beautiful care facility she had been moved to. Fisk had planned to move her to Italy but that had been put on hold when he had been incarcerated.

Six months had passed since the night Fisk had been arrested along with his tangled network of crime. Six months since he whispered promises and requests to Vanessa right up until the moment the police dragged him from the apartment. One of those wishes had been for her to watch over his mother, something she had been happy to do.

Her life had taken such a turn since meeting her future husband. She'd grown accustomed to being pursued by wealthy men over the years but there was something different about Wilson Fisk. Maybe it was the power he held. He loved Hell's kitchen and had the ability to made things happen. Those things may not have all been above the law, but she had been in awe of how far a web he had cast across the city. He had loyal people in every dark corner and she had quickly become one of them.

In the beginning Vanessa had fought to get her betrothed out of prison but Fisk didn't seem to be in much of a hurry. Although he had lost a battle the big man explained that they were part of a much bigger war. His strengths had always been in seeing the bigger picture, he could just as easily orchestrate his network from behind locked doors as he could down in the street and Vanessa swiftly accepted that situation.

Over the months Vanessa had woven herself into the web becoming a kind of matriarch to Fisk's remaining henchmen. Using their loyalty to the kingpin of crime to rebuild his fallen empire whilst searching out leads as to whom had murdered his poor second in command James Wesley.

Vanessa poured herself another cup of tea and listened as Mrs Vistain told tales of a chubby child's innocent exploits during a particularly harsh winter of yesteryear. She giggled at the anecdote and watched as the older woman's expression grew pensive.

"I don't often think back to times when Wilson's father was alive…." Mrs Vistain began as Vanessa once against lifted the tea-cup to her lips.

"… I think the last time was when that couple came to visit me".

Vanessa froze with the cup to her mouth. Her eyes grew wide as she listened and forced herself not to react. Mrs Vistain's mind was fragile and Vanessa didn't want anything to interrupt the current flow.

"Couple?" she eventually enquired, gently prompting the woman to continue.

"They were lovely. A dark fellow and his lady friend"

Placing the cup back on the coffee table Vanessa held her breath. Fisk had informed her that his mother held the answers to who killed Wesley and back when the weekly visits started she had unashamedly pushed the elderly woman for information on Ben Urich's visit. But all the efforts had proved fruitless and she eventually gave up the ghost.

Urich, the meddlesome reporter had sworn to Fisk that he'd visited Mrs Vistain alone but one look into the guy's eyes told the big man he was lying. There was another person out there in Hell's Kitchen that knew secrets Wilson Fisk didn't want exposing and that person could very well have been the one who pumped his bespectacled lieutenant full of lead.

Vanessa relaxed back into the chair and attempted to slowly steer the conversation in the right direction.

"Were they married, the couple who came to see you?"

Mrs Vistain shook her head

"No. I thought they may have been at first but looking back she seemed no more than a girl. Such a pretty young thing with beautiful long blonde hair."

Vanessa smiled and made mental notes of every word spoken.

'Young, pretty and blonde'.

It wasn't much but Wilson Fisk was a man who could find answers from the tiniest thread of detail. After she had chance to relay the new information back to her fiancé she would round up the henchman and send them out onto the street's of Hell's Kitchen to hunt the ones who had wronged her man just like the wicked witch dispatching her flying monkey's.

* * *

 **1 week later**

It had quickly become common practise for the three employee's of _'Nelson and Murdock, Attorneys at law'_ to celebrate a win by wasting away the twilight hours in the dim light of Josie's dive bar.

They shared a bottle of cheap whiskey and toasted another successful day of saving the 'little man'. Foggy Nelson's voice grew in volume the more bourbon he swallowed causing Josie to scowl at him from behind the bar. He had steered the conversation seamlessly from the winning arguments of the case to tales of his college years. Or more specifically Matt Murdock's failed relationships.

"Let's see! What about poor Melanie Lynton who didn't last long at all. Too sweet and innocent for our boy over here" Foggy said to his captive audience of one.

Karen Page sat absorbed as he spoke. It was hard not to like Foggy, in fact it was near impossible not to like him. He was kind, funny, charming and thoroughly entertaining. She counted herself very fortunate to have met him all those months ago. The blonde laughed as he continued the story at his best friends expense causing the pair to glance over at Matt who sat quietly, that thin smile he tended to wear when feeling less than comfortable firmly fixed across his face.

"So after Melanie there was Elektra. Man! Elektra was hot. She had to been with a name like that right? Foggy continued causing Matt to shake his head realising the story wasn't going to end any time soon.

"And she was a handful too. She had this knack for disappearing and then just turning up unexpectedly, raining down havoc in every direction. I'm telling you Matt, we haven't seen the last of her".

Karen looked over at Foggy's partner. Matt Murdock was almost like the anti-Foggy. He was quiet, reserved and when he spoke, his words tended to be concise but significant. He had charm just like his partner but just displayed it in a very different way. Before she had chance to compare them further Foggy carried on with his story.

"That's leads us on to Mary" he said leaning forward into the group and whispering the girls name.

"Now that girl had some serious problems…"

"Hey Hey! she was a great girl, just a little misunderstood" Matt defended firmly.

"Misunderstood? The girl had a multiple personality disorder Matt" Foggy stated a little harshly, but the expression on his co workers face although hidden behind dark glasses made him quickly drop the subject. It seemed the story of mystery Mary was strictly off limits.

Foggy swallowed down another glass of whisky and stood up from the table.

"I'm gonna take a leak" he announced and Karen watched as he walked across the bar.

She could fall in love with a guy like that. They got on really well, found common ground on most subjects. They had the basics of what could be a good relationship. But then she would turn her head and see Matt Murdock. Quite simply put, the guy made her heart fluctuate and her temperature rise. Karen couldn't seem to control the way she felt about him even though she kept it well hidden.

The only other person she had felt anything similar for was the man in the mask, or 'daredevil' as the press had dubbed him. Karen found herself searching the tabloids most days looking for articles that mentioned him. Just wanting to feel close to him. She couldn't quite explain it except it was probably no more than a bit of Hero Worship.

"Hey Karen! Are you all right? You've gone awfully quiet" Matt asked pulling Karen out of a little 'daredevil' daydream. She shook away the guilty musing and tried to answer.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I was just…..just" she paused trying to concoct a convincing lie to give to a man who seemed to have a knack for telling when people weren't telling the truth.

"Ok, this must never be repeated and I will deny that I ever said it, but…." She leaned towards Matt and breathed in the wonderfully woody scent of her employer.

"I was just thinking that on occasion and only in the right light, Foggy has a tiny likeness to Brad Pitt".

The laugh that emanated from her friend at the comment was something beautiful. The smile even reached those eyes she couldn't quite see. Karen loved It when he laughed like that, albeit rare and she couldn't help but join in.

"You know that isn't actually the first time I have heard that said" Matt replied still chuckling loudly.

Foggy chose that moment to return to the table. He demanded to know what was so funny and was more than a little put out that his so-called friend's refused to share the joke. It was about that time when the three of them heard a shout from across the bar.

"Hey kids, you might want to think about wrapping things up" Josie said, her face filled with concern as she peered through the nearest window out onto the street. There seemed to be an eerie stillness out in the darkness

"Something out there just doesn't feel right"

Foggy looked over at his friend who had stiffened slightly at Josie's words. The previous relaxed atmosphere between the three of them had suddenly changed and Matt was the first to speak, agreeing with the bar owner that they should all call it a night.

It took less than five minutes before the three of them were stepping out of the door. Karen made small talk but for once Foggy wasn't listening. He was staring at his best friend and he knew while he and Karen made there way to home and to sleep, Matt Murdock's night was just beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

Matt shifted in his chair trying to find a comfortable position. He was sifting through old case files on his Braille display for a particularly complex case but an ache down his right thigh was hurting like hell.

He'd been out on the streets for five nights in a row and they had taken their toll. The red suit may have done it's job at deflecting knife wounds but it did nothing to stop his own stupidity. A badly timed step off a two storey roof was all it took for a unceremonious fall to the cold hard ground. How he hadn't broken a number of bones was nothing short of a miracle.

As he sat trying to ignore the growing discomfort Matt realised that he needed someone with good eyesight to check on his injury. Stitching open wounds he could muddle through, assessing broken bones was pretty easy for a guy with enhanced senses but just plain unidentified pain needed something other than his current abilities.

Foggy was the obvious choice, his best friend's office was just across the other side of the room. He didn't relish the idea of dropping his pants in front of the guy but it would be the quickest option. Matt pulled his tired body to a standing position and shuffled over to the door.

"Hey, Foggy! Could I have a private word for a moment?" he called out across the office.

"He hasn't arrived at work yet" came Karen's voice in reply.

"Couldn't you tell from the silence of the room?" she added with a smirk

Matt hadn't noticed that his partner was not in work. In truth his head was back on the streets filing through all the crap he had encountered over the previous few nights.

Josie had been right that night in the bar. Something definitely wasn't right in the city.

But all he had to show for his efforts so far were a few aches and pains and repeated references to something called 'The Box'. A complete mystery to him but wouldn't stay that way for long. He would spend every night in the Kitchen until he found out what was going on.

"So….. Do you want some coffee?" Karen asked pulling him away from trying to solve the mystery in his head. The silent stance and staring off into the distance routine had caused a bit of an awkward quiet that she felt an need to fill.

"Your coffee? Coffee that you made?" Matt managed to ask, dragging himself away from his other thoughts.

Karen rolled her eyes with annoyance at her employer's continued slur on her beverage making ability.

"Yes, coffee that I have made" she returned indignantly.

"Then I would absolutely love some"

Karen moved to fetch a fresh cup, suspicious of the seemingly positive remark.

In her absence Matt had the most fleeting thought to ask Karen to check over his injuries but quickly dismissed the idea. The list of reasons he couldn't ask Karen for help with such a simple task was as long as his arm.

For a start she would ask too many questions as to how he got himself injured in the first place. He hated lying to her but there was absolutely no way he was telling her about his vigilante alter ego. That knowledge had already gotten Claire hurt. The thought of Karen being used in order to get to him was so terrible that his brain wouldn't even compute the idea.

Then there was the fact that Karen had a thing for him. From the casual observer she hid it well. But he knew. He had known since shortly after they first met. They were in the middle of the Union Allied case. Karen had sought shelter in his apartment and he had given her the story of how he wished he could see the sky one more time.

That little tale had been the truth and it was honest but he had still used it as a line. Matt had learned a long time ago that women just loved to try and fix the broken or help the helpless and he found that a little bit of 'controlled vulnerability' as he liked to call it usually got him want he wanted.

And the minute he had used the 'sky' line on Karen he knew it had worked, he could feel her opening a little piece of her heart to him. And he had done it for no other reason than just to see if he could. The truth was Karen wasn't really his type. Claire Temple was the kind of person he usually found himself with.

His nurse friend already walked in the same shadows he did. She was cool-headed and unflappable and it was obvious that she had seen things like half dead vigilantes before. Matt hadn't been the first to fall at her feet, he was sure of it. An analogy came to mind when he thought of the two women. Claire Temple was like a good blues tune. Strong and serious and soulful.

Karen was more like a Katy Perry song. All bright and full of life. It wasn't a bad thing. Matt could admit there had been many times he'd thought about what it would be like to _'put his hands on her in her skin tight jeans'_. But really, he had always been more into blues than pop.

As his thoughts were fast becoming off-topic, he forced himself back to his original point. He couldn't ask Karen to check his injury because it just wasn't fair to her. He would inevitably use another line on her, and he would flirt because for some unknown reason he couldn't seem to stop himself. In return she would make him smile. It was impossible not to when she was around and all of it would be for nothing because he kept telling himself she wasn't his type. To lead Karen on would only hurt her and just as importantly would hurt his best friend.

Foggy Nelson was the most important person in his life. Their friendship still hadn't fully mended after Foggy found out the truth about the whole vigilante stuff. On the surface they were solid, but underneath a little bit of trust and a little bit of respect had gone from their relationship and Matt doubted he could ever get it back.

Matt knew how Foggy felt about Karen, the guy's feelings were an open book and he was going to make it his priority to avoid anything that could further hurt their relationship.

He heard Karen walk back towards him with the coffee. She gently took hold of his hand and guided the cup in to it. Matt took a sip and grimaced at the taste.

"Hmmmm, Foggy was right. Your coffee really does make you appreciate the taste of a good cup" he smirked then felt a soft punch to his arm as Karen walked away.

Matt turned back to re-enter his office still feeling the warmth of Karen's hand on his own. He reprimanded his own thoughts. He had a complex case that needed working on, he had the whole 'Box' mystery of Hell's Kitchen to sort out and instead he had spent that last 10 minutes thinking about his secretary.

He needed to keep Karen at arms length, to protect her and also for the sake of his friendship with Foggy. He needed to tell himself that the beautiful, intelligent, kind Karen Page just wasn't his type.

Maybe if he said it often enough, he would eventually convince himself it was the truth.

* * *

"Hey I brought donuts!" a cheery voice filled the office some fifty minutes later.

"You're late again" Karen lectured Foggy.

"I've actually been working, it just wasn't in the office, so technically I'm not late" Foggy claimed as he munched one of his own donuts.

"What exactly did this work entail?" Karen asked suspiciously

"It was a breakfast meeting in the city" he mumbled with a mouth full of sugary goodness.

There was a lack of eye contact as he spoke which revealed to Karen that he in fact had spent the night with Marci…again.

Karen wasn't Marci Stahl's biggest fan. She didn't know their history, how they got together or what broke them apart but there was something that didn't sit right between them.

Foggy Nelson was one of the best guys she knew and she hated watching Marci's constant attempt to make him mean and hard. He didn't need to be either of those things, he was smart, funny and sweet and could still kick-ass.

She had overheard him telling Matt one evening how he had ended hooking up with the fierce blonde again.

' _She has the eyes of a Disney Princess, Matt. You can't say no to Disney eyes, it's impossible_ '

The reference was sadly lost on Matt, he had lost his sight years before the current crop of animated movies had come out. When he tried to imagine a face with eyes too big for it's head he could only seem to picture a Roswell alien.

Maybe there was nothing wrong with the girl and it was just that Karen felt a little jealous, Marci was very pretty after all. But she swore if she heard her call him 'Foggy Bear' one more time….

* * *

Claire Temple slowly pushed open the door of Matt's office and saw a couple enjoying a joke. She knew the guy to be Foggy. Matt's best friend and the man who had called her the night he found Matt half dead on his apartment floor. She didn't recognise the girl but assumed she was called Karen. Claire had heard Matt mention her from time to time.

She stepped forward through the threshold making herself known to the couple, abruptly ending their conversation.

"I'm er…..I'm looking for Matt?" she asked nervously.

"It's Claire, isn't it? Foggy asked already by her side at the door, his brow suddenly furrowed with concern

"Did Matt call you, is he ok?" came the quick follow up question.

Claire opened her mouth to answer but was beaten to the punch by Matt who had appeared at his office door.

"I'm fine Foggy, it's just a social call" Matt replied and Claire smiled as she walked passed them and followed him into his office.

"It's been a while since I've heard from you" Claire stated as Matt closed the door to his private space

"Well I took you're advice and got my self a better suit"

"You look good, when you're not all beaten and bloody" Claire commented, realising that her inflection was flirty, something she couldn't seem to help when being in his presence.

"So what exactly am I doing here Matt?"

She listened as he told her about the roof top fall and the close-up view of asphalt that quickly followed. Also how he assumed the pain he was experiencing was just bruising but he needed someone to make sure that's all it was. Then Claire watched as he unzipped his trousers letting them fall to the floor.

"Jesus, that's a big one" Claire stated a little too loudly as she studied the rather angry looking yellow bruise that covered most of his thigh.

Matt laughed nervously at her comment, she looked up not understanding what had amused him

"Thin walls, Claire, without the right context, your comment just now has greatly intrigued my two colleagues out there.

She blushed a little when realising what he meant and went back to assessing the injury.

"Well, you're right it's just bruising, around your hip as well. Everything else seems fine, maybe just put some ice on it" she concluded letting him pull the trousers back up.

It seemed Matt didn't want her to leave right away as he started to ask about what she had been doing over the last few months. Claire filled him in about her visiting family for a while and about her work down at the hospital. The latter seemed to intrigue him

"Hey Claire, have you seen anything strange recently down at the hospital? Heard anyone mentioned something called 'The Box'" he asked, that cute little smile she loved gone and replaced with a business like tone.

Claire thought for a few moments, half the things she saw in this city was strange, it was hard to decide what he actually wanted to know.

"Erm…'The Box' means nothing to me but a couple of weeks ago two young woman were brought into the hospital with terrible injuries" she began. The sight of the poor girls was something she wouldn't forget in a hurry.

"They had been tortured Matt, it was just awful. The police had found them in an abandoned warehouse down by the docks, we tried everything but neither of the girls made it"

She suddenly felt an arm wrap around her shoulders and then she was pulled gently into Matt's chest. Claire hadn't realised till that moment just how much these girls had affected her. She stayed there, resting against Matt for a good few minutes feeling that unbelievably strong heartbeat match her own. Eventually she pulled herself away

"Was that the kind of strange thing that interests you?"

She watched Matt Murdock slowly grip the edges of his desk and saw his shoulders tighten as he thought about what she just told him. Then he looked up to Claire and answered

"It is now"


	3. Chapter 3

Sergeant Brett Mahoney heaved a sigh as he stepped out of the precinct just after 10pm. There was a nip in the evening air causing him to wrap his windbreaker a little tighter, then he took a right down a usual short cut to the subway.

It was pretty dark along the narrow street. Tall buildings on each side hid any light that might otherwise have seeped through but Brett didn't bother. He had taken the route hundreds of times. He could probably find his way even without his sight.

The walk seemed to take a little longer as he tried to shake off the day. It had been the shift from Hell. Every piece of scum that came through the door had brought a ton of complications with them. Then, as he was about to leave he heard that another tortured girl had just been found. That stuff was really messed up and he prayed to God they would find the person responsible soon.

A shiver ran down Brett's spine making him stop walking. Something felt different down the street. His hand automatically moved towards the gun at his side and he spun around searching the darkness for the ghostly presence he felt there. A full minute passed when all he could hear was the sound of his own breath. He strained his eyes to see further through the darkness but there was nothing.

The sergeant took a second to pull himself together. The whole thing with the murdered women had put him on edge.

He had been doing the job a good few years now and the city had always had it's low life's. The underground world of crime that continuously flowed through the streets was littered with individuals that should be wiped from the face of the earth, but whoever had done those things to those poor girls was something else completely.

Taking a calming breath Brett turned back to continue on his journey only to find the vigilante stood in his path. The shock caused him to jump back a step.

" Jesus! what the hell are you doing?" he yelled at the daredevil looming over him.

"I need you to tell me about the girls Sergeant" the big guy dressed in red and black demanded.

"It's police business, I don't need to tell you anything"

Daredevil took a step closer forcing Brett to move further back, a hand still hovering on his gun.

"Have you found the person responsible? - No? - Then I think you need my help"

Brett studied this man stood before him. He wanted to trust the guy but there was something within that suit of armour that unnerved him. There was the way he seemed to use the silence within a conversation to invade your soul and find your innermost secrets. Then there was that calm tone he always used. A peaceful inflection was not generally seen as troubling but added together with someone who flexed with tension in every part of his body and it made it all very unsettling indeed.

He thought about the nickname that this vigilante have been given and decided it was extremely apt for a man who clearly was fighting to hold back the devil inside him.

Even with his reservations, Brett knew the police needed all the help they could get in catching this culprit and chose to risk revealing some facts to Daredevil.

"The police are doing everything they can, in fact they are still at the scene of the latest victim …."

"Where?" Daredevil commanded, done with any more pointless conversation.

"The China Gardens restaurant down on forty….." but he was gone before the sergeant could even finish.

Brett watched as the shadow of the daredevil disappeared and prayed he would never be in a position to get on the wrong side of that man.

* * *

Matt perched on the top of a building close to the restaurant. He sat silently listening to the activity below. There was minimal police involvement at the scene, obviously the PD didn't want to incite panic in the area and the lack of different voices made it easier for Matt to concentrate on what was happening.

Ok tell me what we've got?" he heard one of the detectives ask his colleague.

" Her name was Andrea Burton, 28 years old, worked across the street at the New York Bulletin."

The detectives went on to talk a little of the injuries she had sustained before her death and Matt considered banging his head against the wall to prevent himself hearing anymore of what the poor girl had endured.

"But like the other three girls, can't seem to find much to link them to each other" the detective continued, making Matt realise that there were now four victims. It was only two when he had spoken to Claire.

"So the only common factors seemed to be that they are all aged between 25 and 35 and are blonde?" The lead detective confirmed and that's when Matt's head turned away from the scene. He wanted to stay longer, needed to know more but he'd heard something else down below in the opposite direction. Something that sounded like guns being cocked.

Matt shifted to the far end of the rooftop to where he could hear more voices. Men with strong New York accents, four or five of them. They were huddled together and after picking up on part of the conversation he realised that what he had originally heard was an open crate of automatic weapons.

Dealing guns in Hell's Kitchen wasn't something Matt was about to let happen and he followed the movement of the men to a warehouse a couple of streets over. After they disappeared inside Daredevil used the time to make his way down to street level and prepare his attack.

It took a while before the first man emerged from the building but little more than a second before Matt had punched him hard in the face. It seemed the guy was not a born fighter and quickly conceded, spilling information to the masked Man.

"We are not selling guns, I swear. They are for protection against the others" the man whimpered through a mouth full of blood.

Matt wished he didn't understand what the guy was talking about but he was slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle together. The drug trade in Hell's kitchen was beginning to ramp back up. He was witnessing the start of a turf war over whom would take on what the Russian's had left behind.

It made sense. Fisk's trial was fast approaching and the kingpin was obviously putting things in place for a hopeful return to the city.

The guy currently spitting blood onto the floor was part of a gang, the guns were to ward off other gangs. Matt bent down desperate for more information but before he had chance to interrogate his chatty friend, three other guys exited the building.

The mêlée that followed was brutal. The three men were considerably more athletic than their colleague and Daredevil took his fair share of punches before managing to get an upper hand. He slammed one guy into a dumpster hearing his arm break in the process. The pain must have been great because the thug passed out soon after. He put the second man in a sleeper hold leading him slowly to the ground.

Then just one remained. The last attacker punched Matt so hard he stumbled backwards quickly feeling the force of a follow up blow. He could tell from the technique that the guy had spent a good deal of time in a boxing gym. But where the man had weight behind his fists, Matt had speed and a well timed dive allowed him to take the legs from under the guy and proceed to pummel him to submission.

In the distance Matt could hear the sound of approaching sirens and he was also increasingly aware of a crowd of onlookers at the end of the street. He was out of time but needed more information.

"Who gave you the guns?" he asked grabbing tightly hold of the guy by his throat. Another punch forced the man to answer.

"The box…the box gives us everything we need" he coughed out against the choke hold.

"Tell me what the box is?" Matt demanded but the man just smiled

"If you don't know then you should count yourself lucky" he stated.

Matt cursed , he needed more time to get some proper answers but the Police were just around the corner and he didn't want to deal with a whole PD showdown. It was time to make a sharp exit. A elbow to the face ensured the guy couldn't escape once the police arrived and at least Matt could be satisfied that he had stopped whatever was planned that night.

Then he ran to the fire escape and hoisted himself up the metal steps and out of sight.

* * *

 **Just a little earlier**

Karen laughed as she watched her newest friend 'throw shapes' on a dance floor of a club in the heart of Hell's kitchen. It was 1am and while Nicole seemed content to dance away the rest of the night, Karen was aware that she would be needed in work in a matter of hours and the growing dizziness she was experiencing was proof that her alcohol consumption needed to be stopped.

She had met Nicole at yoga class and the 5ft 2" brunette had far too much energy for her own good. Karen gestured to her watch that it was time to go and her friend reluctantly followed towards the exit.

"Look I'll go and grab our jackets and meet you outside" Karen helpfully suggested waving her friend off while she headed for the coat check area.

It took a good few minutes to get what she wanted but eventually made it outside only to find a crowd of people gathered by the end of a street.

"Hey, what's going on? what's everyone looking at?"

"That guy is down there" Nicole began pointing to the narrow back street everyone seemed to be peering down

"You know, that daredevil guy is down there getting his ass kicked"

"What!?" Karen shouted, then pushed her way forward until she could see what was happening.

There in the corner of the street, barely in view was Daredevil. She wanted to shout out to him but was struck frozen while watching her hero get repeatedly punched. Karen felt sick as she watched the violent brawl play out and heard the masked man break the bones of his assailant. It was all too much.

"We have to do something, call the police? go down there and help him?" Karen implored the others around her, but even as she spoke the sound of police sirens could be heard rushing to the scene.

The crowd quickly thinned letting Karen get a better view. Daredevil had hold of one of the guys by the throat, he was asking him something and was obviously struggling to get a suitable reply.

Police cars came into view just as the Daredevil pulled himself up a fire escape. Karen was taken aback at the strength he found to pull himself up after the punishment he had taken.

The red and black suit momentarily shone as he passed by a security light attached the wall and Karen suddenly couldn't catch her breath. She felt her legs give way and Nicole was forced help her down to sit on the kerb.

"Hey, Hey are you ok?" her concerned friend asked helping her sit on the cold concrete but Karen couldn't seem to give an answer. Her mind was trying to make sense of what she had just seen.

In that moment Daredevil passed by the light Karen had properly seen him, well saw as much as the suit allowed, which wasn't very much. Just a mouth, but it was a mouth she recognised. Lips that she would know anywhere. Karen had spent far too much time over the last few months staring at that same slightly crooked smile.

She inhaled long deep breaths while still seated on the floor trying to deny what she knew to be the truth.

The man in the mask, the devil of hells kitchen, or just plain Daredevil was in fact Matt Murdock.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to those who have read the story so far and to those who have taken the time to leave a comment. It is always good to hear what you have to say. Thanks again.**

* * *

"We're going to lose this case Matt." Foggy admitted throwing his pen onto the table in frustration.

"I know" Matt calmly replied

"I mean, we have nothing solid, nothing you can hold. Every single thing we have is just conjecture."

"I know"

Foggy Nelson stood from his chair and paced the room, glancing back towards the files and papers messily spread across the table. Their client, Mr Akhtar was a newspaper vender who had found a body of a strangled man by his stall early one morning.

The man had attempted to help the victim not realising he had died moments before. When the investigation of the scene failed to produce any witnessess or CCTV footage, Mr Akhtar's efforts to do a good deed transformed him into becoming the suspect.

Foggy run his hands through his hair. They needed to find something, anything no matter how small, that would help form a solid base for the case.

"As charming as I am I really don't think even my silky prose can get the job done with just hearsay alone."

Matt reached out for a voice recorder and pulled it over towards him. He had made Karen read out facts from the case in chronological order. Sometimes it was easier to listen to the details rather than trawling through files of information.

"Sit down Foggy, take a breath and close your eyes." Once he heard his friend comply, Matt pressed play and they sat in silence as Karen's voice filled the room.

Foggy spent the next half hour listening to the recording, circling vital phrases and underlining key words on his note pad. He kept his head lowered all the time Karen's voice rang out. Eventually he took a moment to look up and saw his friend casually leaning back against a chair. Matt's glasses where folded on the table and he sat with eyes closed and arms crossed. The guy looked pretty relaxed sitting there, the tension he usually carried in his the shoulders had gone, so had the furrow across his brow. Foggy thought he looked so peaceful that he might have actually fallen…..

"Dude! Are you asleep?" he accused only to watch as the corners of Matt's mouth slowly turned up into a smile then his eyes opened, an unfocused stare looking in his direction.

"No, just thinking"

Foggy knew that the peacefulness surrounding Matt was all Karen's doing. He first noticed it a while back. The beautiful blonde's presence around the office sparked a change in his blind friend. She had quickly become part of their family but Foggy was noticing that Matt's regard for her was a little more than just sisterly.

He recalled a time in college when Matt vaguely suggested that what he looked for in a girlfriend was just someone he really liked listening to'. Well, the voice recording they'd spent the last half hour observing was a convincing argument that Matt had found that someone.

The idea of Matt and Karen as a couple did evoke some jealousy in Foggy. But he would get over that. He'd spent years watching his best friend hook up with girls he'd been interested in. The main concern Foggy had with any kind of relationship between the two of them, was that Matt wasn't just a nice guy with a sad childhood who deserved happiness. He was a vigilante who willingly put himself constantly in danger.

Finding Matt half dead across the apartment floor would be something Foggy would never forget. It was evidence of the length's Matt's enemies were prepared to go to in order to cause him harm. The bad guys had even managed to kidnap Claire Temple as well. That couldn't happen to Karen. If she got caught up in Daredevil's war just because she was dating him, then Foggy would never forgive Matt or himself.

Discussing Matt's love life was usually a great source of entertainment for Foggy but this situation was one discussion he would definitely be steering clear of.

He brought his mind back to the case in hand and leaned over the desk to turn off the recording. It was pointless, they knew all the facts, nothing new had been revealed.

"Hey! What time is it?" Matt asked his partner in the newly silent room

"Just after 10am"

Matt straightened in his chair, that calmness quickly vanishing. The pair had been in the office since 8am and two hours had passed in the blink of an eye. But the passing of time was not the thing that was concerning Matt.

"Where's Karen? shouldn't she be here by now?"

"I received a text from her at around 8.30am, she's ill and asked if she could be excused" Foggy replied indifferently, gathering up files from the table.

"What do you mean ill? Have you actually spoken to her?"

"She's just sick Matt, a cold or something. We haven't actually talked because the text was adequate." Foggy replied at little puzzled at the concern Matt displayed.

"Can you ring her now and just make sure, please?" Matt asked his friend, a clear edge to his tone.

"She's probably asleep Matt, there's no point in …."

"There's someone running around this city that is murdering women, Foggy. I just want to make sure she is safe, just ring her so I can hear her voice, I need to hear her voice."

Matt Murdock never raised his tone. The higher his emotions ran, the quieter his voice became. That's how Foggy knew just how concerned his friend currently was. The request to call Karen was barely more than a whisper.

He placed his cell phone on the table and called Karen on speakerphone. It rang a good number of times before she picked up. Foggy saw white knuckles on his friends hands as they waited for her to answer.

"Hello" came a croaky voice. The poor girl genuinely sounded ill.

"Hey, Karen, sorry to bother you, I was just checking in, offering my services as a nursemaid. You want me to bring you over some chicken soup? or give you a sponge bath?" Foggy offered in that humorous charm he possessed.

"Thanks Foggy but I'm fine, I'm starting to feel a bit better. Think I just needed a bit more sleep. I didn't get a great deal during the night." Karen replied honestly.

"I think I can manage to make it in to the office this afternoon, if that will help?" she added

Foggy watched Matt ease knowing the blonde was safe, they spoke for a couple more minutes before ending the call.

"So are you happy now? Good, I'm going out and bringing us back some coffee".

* * *

Karen Page dropped the phone onto the bed and rubbed her hands across her face. She was a wreck, part exhausted and part hung-over with a brain that just wouldn't switch off after seeing Daredevil in the alleyway.

Every attempt at closing her eyes brought forth the red suited vigilante and the fact that she had been so sure it was Matt.

But in the cold light of a hung-over day she was filled with doubts.

How could a blind lawyer have done those things she had witnessed in the alley. Surely those combat skills would be impossible for someone like Matt.

But she had got such a good look at him climbing that fire escape, it had to be him. God! it was all so confusing.

In the office Matt would wear those dark glasses. It always stopped her making eye contact when they spoke and instead she was forced to look elsewhere, mainly to his mouth. Karen honestly felt that she knew those lips almost as well as her own. In fact she'd even imagined just what they tasted like... on more than one occasion.

But maybe what she had seen was just effects from all the alcohol she had consumed. The vomit smelling bathroom was testament that the volume had been great indeed. Could her drink have been drugged making her see things that weren't there. Making her believe that the two people she was attracted to were one in the same?

Maybe Matt wasn't actually blind. Perhaps it had all been a ruse to help keep his identity a secret while he was out fighting crime. If that was the case then...

 _Oh God!_ she had stripped off her shirt in front of him that night in his apartment after the union allied case.

Karen stood up from the bed desperately trying to shake the conflicting thoughts from her head. It had all been too much.

The bottom line was she thought she saw Matt climbing that fire escape but she couldn't be absolutely sure.

The idea of some kind of masked ninja actually being a blind man sounded so absurd Karen knew she couldn't just ask Matt outright. If it wasn't true they would just laugh in her face for suggesting such a thing.

But on the other hand, there was still part of her that believed it was Matt in that suit and Karen Page was not a person that shied away from finding out the truth. One way or another she would get to the bottom of what was going on.

* * *

 **Late Afternoon**

A tall handsome stranger stood in the doorway of the Nelson and Murdock offices. He could hear voices coming from one of the side rooms but the reception desk appeared to be unmanned. After coughing loudly a couple of times someone from the room made an appearance.

"Hey, can I help you?" asked a suited guy with hair a little longer than was normally seen on the average lawyer.

"Hopefully, I'm looking for Mr Nelson or Mr Murdock?"

"Well you're in luck, I am in fact Mr Nelson. What is it we can do for you?" Foggy asked noting the British accent the gentleman used as he spoke.

The stranger held out his hand to greet the lawyer and saw another figure emerging from the side office, rightly assuming it to be Mr Murdock.

"Actually I think it's more of what I can do for you. My name is Brian, Brian Wright and I think I have some evidence to help with Mr Akhtar's case"

Foggy glanced back to Matt then smiled thankfully at the stranger.

"That's just what we needed to hear, why don't you come on through and tell us what you have."

After a lengthy discussion with Mr Wright, Matt and Foggy did indeed have the evidence they needed, but it felt all too convenient. Mr Wright had presented CCTV footage from the coffee shop across the street from the crime scene. The man had excuses for why the footage hadn't been available earlier. In fact he had an answer for every question the pair of lawyers threw at him.

They ended the meeting showing the gentleman out into the main office. Foggy took a moment to shift over to his friend, out of ear shot of the gentleman.

"So what do you make of this guy?"

Matt had listened to the guys heart beat and the pitch of his voice while he spoke. It appeared that he was telling the truth but something just didn't feel right and Matt couldn't quite put his finger on what that was. But it felt wrong to condemn a guy who may have just helped get their client off a murder charge. So he would reserve judgement just for now.

It was then that Matt heard Karen's voice. She must have arrived to work whilst they were in the meeting.

Foggy introduced Mr Wright to Karen. It was clear that the blonde was not oblivious to the gentleman's goodlooks or the British accent as he gently took hold of her hand.

"You can call me Brian" he advised placing a small kiss on the back of Karen's hand making her blush and giggle at the contact.

It was then Matt was reminded of Fogg'y's earlier question and he whispered over to his friend with an answer.

"What do I make of the guy? I don't trust him Foggy, I don't trust him at all".


	5. Chapter 5

Another crack of thunder rattled along the tall buildings. The rumbling felt endless like someone rolling steel barrels down the whole length of 9th Avenue. It was so loud Karen doubted anyone in the city would be able to sleep.

She climbed out of bed and sat by the window watching lightning match the booms of thunder, proving the storm was right above the city. The storm was expected, the air had been unbearably thick during the day. The humidity played on everyone's nerves, even good natured Foggy had resorted to making snide remarks around the office.

Six weeks had passed since the night she had seen Daredevil in the alley. The first two of those weeks Karen desperately tried to forget. There was a need to prove that Matt was the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. But moving around office furniture only to check if her employer was actually visually impaired was possibly one of the most despicable things she had ever done. Plus interrogating him over what she thought was a battle wound only to discover it was just a particularly bad shaving nick made her realise she was trying to find something that just wasn't there.

After that things became hectic at work. It was all hands to the deck in finishing up Mr Akhtar's case and it pushed other thoughts from her mind. The frequent visits from the lovely Brian Wright also served as a distraction.

Another flash of lightening illuminated the sky and Karen looked around her bleak apartment. She hated it there, so many bad memories met her at every turn. Now the place was just used for sleeping and showering. As the former was currently out of the question Karen decided it was time to get out for a while.

It was approaching midnight as she headed out of the door and was greeted with rain so fierce it came down in torrents. Karen really couldn't remember seeing a storm this bad. It felt almost apocalyptic and for a moment she wondered if there was an element of the unnatural about it. Ever since the 'Battle of New York' anything seemed possible. And wasn't the Avenger 'Thor' supposed to be the God of Thunder or something.

Her feet moved of their own accord through the streets and Karen reigned back her run-away thoughts. She was doing it again, hyperbolising a simple thunder storm into an alien attack, just like how she imagined that a blind lawyer was also a kick-ass vigilante. When her feet eventually stopped she was outside the Nelson and Murdock offices.

Inside, the building looked to still have power. Karen had noticed on the journey over that some of the streets had suffered blackouts. At least she could catch up on some work until the storm passed.

However, there was one problem. Karen was soaking wet from the rain. In hindsight, picking up a jacket or umbrella when leaving the apartment would have been a good idea. Now the longer she stood in the room the colder her clinging clothes became. A dishtowel from the kitchenette helped rub moisture from her hair and dried exposed arms but the clothes were a different matter. Karen searched the office for anything dry she could wear. A forgotten sweater, some spare gym clothes, anything at all.

A glance into Matt's office revealed a suit jacket hanging on the back of his chair. That would do nicely.

A short time later Karen was sat at her desk, wrapped up in the jacket with slightly damp underwear beneath. Her clothing dripping over the back of a couple of chairs.

Pulling the collar of the jacket up to her face Karen inhaled all that made up her employer. She couldn't identify the scent except that it was wonderful and familiar. She guiltily closed her eyes and risked another long inhale.

A sudden blinding flash of lightning coincided with the office door swinging open. A scream escaped her lips at the shock only to see that Matt was standing in the door way.

"Karen? what are you doing here at this time?".

He stepped through the door and into the office, an umbrella in one hand and a holdall in the other, Karen noted the shock in his voice as he spoke.

"Couldn't sleep because of the storm, thought I might as well make myself useful" she stated unconsciously wrapping the jacket further around her.

"Did you really use an umbrella in a lightning storm?" she added

"What? Has it been lightning?" Matt joked, using some blind guy humour.

"I think it was a sensible decision, considering I'm virtually dry yet you are soaking wet" he added

"Wait! how do you know that?" she enquired a little suspiciously

Matt balanced the umbrella against the holdall on the floor and slowly stepped up to Karen's desk.

"I can smell the rain water on your clothes, it sharpens the scent of fabric softener you use ".

Karen watched as he leaned forward resting his hands against a chair back , only to feel the wet clothes hanging there.

"Your clothes are here? Why are they on the chair and not on you?"

"Oh sorry I was just hoping I could dry them out a little. I…erm… borrowed your jacket to keep me warm, I hope that's ok?"

Karen actually saw the flush in his cheeks as he absorbed the fact that she was sitting there dressed in fewer clothes than was socially acceptable. She smiled to herself. It felt good knowing that she had managed to elicit that kind of reaction from him.

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine, it's fine" he managed to mutter releasing his hand from the chair and heading off into his office.

* * *

Matt had planned to spend the night on the streets. Trying to put a stop to whatever plans Wilson Fisk might be trying to build for the future. He figured the storm would be a good cover for criminal activity, less potential witnesses around in such terrible weather. He would start down by the docks. Maybe the mysterious 'Box' had something to do with ship containers. He still hadn't forgotten his mentor 'Stick' showing him that poor child sitting in one of those containers. It made him sick to his stomach knowing that he hadn't saved that kid.

The stop at the office was supposed to be a quick one. There were a couple of notes regarding the Akhtar case he wanted to log. His Daredevil outfit was in the holdall that was currently in the other room. Karen was not supposed to have been there.

The Akhtar notes remained un-logged. All he could think about was her sat in the other room wearing little more than his jacket. His brain was unable to process anything else. Thoughts like that never led anywhere good and in the end he stood up, walked through to the main office and grabbed his holdall.

"Are you going all ready? You only just arrived"

"I…er have an appointment to get to".

"At this time of night? What kind of appointment?…..Oh…. An appointment with a woman you mean?" Matt could hear the disappointment as she came to that conclusion.

She couldn't be further from the truth but Matt was still trying to keep things professional with her, trying to keep his distance and so didn't attempt to set her straight on the matter.

"Is it the nurse?… Claire?"

"Gotta fit in with her shifts" Matt answered cementing the lie.

"Right of course. Well have fun"

Matt forced a smile in return, grabbed his bag a little tighter and said his goodbye. He had a whole other kind of night to prepare for.

* * *

 **A couple of hours later.**

Ray Berne, a stocky man with a ginger stubble stood by his two brothers down by the pier. In the early hours of a new day the sky was still dark. Although the storm had eased and the rain had ended, the sky was still a blanket of dark clouds and made it hard for the men to identify shadows that moved around them.

The youngest brother grew anxious the longer they waited. His voice rising in volume as he questioned the eldest.

"We don't have time for this. We need to get back to the site"

Ray stepped up to calm his little brother but stopped short when his cell phone rang. He paled a little looking at the caller ID and walked away to answer it.

It was less than two minutes before the guy returned.

"He's not coming" Ray acknowledged then watched some tension disappear from his two brothers. They should have been angry at having been stood up. They needed the delivery that was promised but instead there was a sense of relief.

"I know we needed the guns bro, but that ' _Box_ ' guy is one seriously creepy dude. I'm glad he didn't show". The youngest brother admitted.

Hidden amongst the shadows near the water's edge Daredevil crouched watching the scene play out. He had gone hoping to discover the identity of the mysterious Box, all the while expecting it to be some inanimate object. He hadn't imagined for a second that it may have been a person. The good thing about people is that they could be tracked down. All he needed to do was find out the guys real name.

The brothers climbed into a car and Daredevil made haste, following them back into the heart of Hell's Kitchen.

The 'site' the younger man had mentioned was exactly that. An exposed building site a couple of blocks from the Nelson and Murdock offices. He listened to the three brothers climb through a mass of tangled metal and concrete, disappearing from view.

Daredevil stayed back contemplating the next move, but then a gun shot rang out, echoing against a partially built wall and he jumped straight into the fray.

He made contact with one guy, relieving him of his weapon, painfully. Then started in on another, unleashing the same treatment. Wrestling with a third, the pair fell back through some exposed pipe work. Daredevil was momentarily dazed but sensed something that instantly brought him back to his feet. Unsure if he heard or smelt the signature of the gas leak first, he quickly got himself moving. The fastest exit was a hole in the wall blueprinted as a future window. He leapt to it pulling himself over the ledge and fell the short distance back to the street.

A parked car met his descent and he tumbled head over heels across the hood expecting a face full of asphalt to greet him. Instead the landing was soft and he quickly realised a person had broken his fall. The winded cry of pain revealed it was a woman. But there wasn't time for apologies, they were too close to the gas leak. Getting to his feet, he dragged the woman with him, hooking his arm around her waist and carrying her across the street deep into a narrow passage. Coming to a stop by a tower of abandoned crates, Daredevil forced the woman to hide behind them while crouched over her, using himself as a shield.

He was pressed so close to the woman that all he could smell was the scent of her hair. He knew that smell, he had inhaled that flowery scent just hours earlier. The girl that cowered underneath him was Karen.

"What…..what were you doing out here?" he yelled, but quickly reigned in his anger. The inflection was too familiar. He wasn't Matt Murdock at that moment. He wasn't her friend and colleague. He was a masked stranger who had just kidnapped her off the street.

Karen trired to reply but was cut off by an almighty boom. The gas explosion ripped through the street sending dust and debris in their direction. Daredevil pressed against Karen again, staying that way until the last falling missile had landed. Then he moved back, pulling the girl to her feet.

A painful moan escaped her lips as she tried to take a step.

I think….I think I hurt my ankle when you landed on me" she said, her fingers digging into the cold fabric of his armoured suit as she tried to strop from wincing.

He lifted her by the waist and sat her atop a wooden crate. Kneeling at her feet Daredevil removed his gloves and slowly pulled off the pump from Karen's foot. He placed his warm hands on her aching ankle and assessed the damage he'd caused.

"Ok, I think it's just a sprain. I could carry you to the ER so that you can get it properly looked at if….." He felt a hand pull up on the corner of his mask forcing his face to come level with hers. Then to his complete shock Karen leaned forward and kissed him.

The contact was fleeting and delicate but the effects were anything but. He felt a fire ignite inside him and before he was even aware of his actions Daredevil had pulled her close and kissed her back.

The second embrace was just as brief as the first but was anything but gentle. It was a little rough and desperate. He knew the moment their lips touched it was wrong and he quickly pulled away.

He had stopped himself getting close to this girl. Spent months building a barrier to put between them. It could be dangerous for her to be part of his life and there was still Foggy's feelings to consider.

But..

All those issues belonged to Matt Murdock. Right now he wasn't Matt the lawyer. He wasn't this girl's friend and employer. Right now he was Daredevil. A masked mystery man who didn't have connections or friends, A stranger who lived a solitary life. They were alone, in the middle of the night and she had no idea who he was.

Was he really going to let this moment pass him by.

Like Hell he was!

His hands slid upwards along her thighs as he pulled her forwards to him, then he pressed his lips to hers and instigated a third kiss. This time it was slow and deep.

For once the only heart beat he could hear was his own as it pulsed through every part of his body.

Daredevil was very aware that this was a one time deal and so he took his time. He needed to take everything from her, everything she had to offer if it was to sustain him for the rest of his life. The fire inside him burned and he wanted more, needed it. It was near impossible to let go. He could feel the heat coming off Karen's skin, could hear the flux in her heart rate. She wanted this as much as he did.

But anything more was just not possible and eventually Daredevil found the strength to peel himself off the beautiful blonde.

"We can't do this again, it's not safe for you to be around me"

"I get it" he heard Karen say a little forlornly

"It's just better if I remain alone"

"I understand"

"You do?" he asked, a little surprised at her acceptance of the situation

"Charms were broken if revealed, right?"

He frowned at her words, not understanding them and heard her giggle in response

"It's just a poem, don't worry about it"

There was a growing chaos back in the street, he lifted the injured Karen Page into his arms and embraced her warm body and her soft skin one last time as they headed towards the activity outside the explosion zone. Then he handed her over to the nearest paramedic.

She sat on the back of an ambulance while an EMT checked her over. Daredevil hovered around for a moment. He should have left all ready. The area teemed with people who could see them together and that could put her in danger.

But he had just one more thing she needed to know. He leaned in close enough to whisper.

"Thank you"

It was short and she would probably never realise just how much she'd given him at that moment but it was the best he could do. Then added one last thing.

"Please please don't tell…..anyone"

Then turned and vanished into the shadows.


	6. Chapter 6

**Not too much left to go now, maybe another two chapters. Thank you once again for taking the time to read and review. It helps a lot.**

* * *

The last time Karen had kissed a guy in a mask was at a tenth grade Halloween party. The kid dressed as Zorro and the whole experience had been awkward, sloppy and his damn sword kept getting in the way.

Kissing Daredevil should have been awkward. They were two strangers, or so it was assumed. He was wearing an outfit which had 'horns' on it. She was dishevelled from the storm and had a painful sprained ankle. They hardly made for an attractive looking couple at that moment.

But it wasn't awkward, it was all kinds of right. Karen felt a little overwhelmed the moment his lips touched hers. God he tasted good! And that taste sent shivers and tingles pulsing through every part of her body. He made her body feel weak and she was glad to have been sitting down.

When he moved his mouth to graze along the side of her throat she was close to losing it and after hearing the nervous shake of his breath tickle her ear, any self control remaining just evaporated into the air. He truly was a devil. The guy had pulled the soul right out of her leaving a shell of wanton lust. She wanted all of him in that moment. And the only thing stopping her getting it was that damn suit he wore. If he had been wearing street clothes Karen would have most certainly made short work getting him out of them.

Karen placed her hands on Daredevil's arms, the first touch of the suit felt cold under her fingers and she felt his muscle flex beneath the material as he pressed closer into her. Whatever the fabric was, it appeared to be a lot thinner than she first thought. It didn't take long before she could feel his body heat coming through the material.

It wasn't just his lips that left her breathless, light-headed and burning with a fever, but the feel of his hands. They moved all across her body, slowly and with purpose. She felt him rub strands of her hair between his thumb and finger. Felt those hot hands smooth along her thighs. His fingers entwined with her own and he let his thumb glide across her jaw line. He wasn't just touching her. The man in the mask was exploring her. Building a picture in his mind of the girl who sat gasping under his attention.

That's when she knew for sure what she'd always suspected. Her brain could try and argue against it but it didn't matter anymore. There was no doubt at all that it wasn't just Daredevil she was kissing but Matt Murdock as well.

This vigilante hadn't just kissed her as a stranger down the narrow street. He had known from the start exactly who she was. She was the girl he saw everyday at work. The girl he socialised with in the local bar. The girl who took him a get-well-soon balloon after the so-called 'car accident' and hell, didn't that just make everything so much more complicated.

By the time he pulled away and told her that it couldn't happen again, Karen's mind was reeling with questions. How did he manage to do the things he does? How had he kept it a secret? Did Foggy know? Why hadn't they told her?

But she could understand his reasons. They all had secrets and there was no way she was about to spill hers so how could she expect him to be any different. He lifted her into his arms and for a few moments all those questions drifted away while she concentrated on the feel of him wrapped around her body.

The last thing he said before he disappeared was ' _please don't tell anyone'_. Karen noted the pause as he said it and she was sure that his original words were 'please don't tell Foggy'.

That's when she realised she would keep his secret. She wouldn't even tell Matt that she knew he was Daredevil. Karen would do all that because of Foggy. For the first time in a long time, Karen felt settled, felt part of something and that was due to the people she had in her life. The two guys who provided book ends to her little office space were family and she wasn't about to do anything to change that dynamic.

* * *

 **Just a few hours later**

Foggy came to an abrupt halt in front of Karen's desk. Her head was draped across the workstation and it was obvious she was fast asleep. His eyes had grown wide and he froze with a mouthful of bear claw and a coffee in his hand.

"Did she…did she just moan? You know like in a…..sexy times kinda way?" he asked looking back to where his partner stood.

Matt hovered by the office door unable to answer his best friend. He just hadn't expected to find Karen there. Why hadn't she gone home to sleep. Her ankle was injured, it made sense that she rested up at home.

The plan had been to arrive early at the office to fill Foggy in on the new criminal activity in town and what he had deduced so far. Ray Berne and his brothers were obviously heading up the drug running gang and they were getting help from Fisk in the form of a mystery man named 'The Box'. Then there was all the stuff with whomever had murdered those women. There was little progress due to the fact that everything had gone quiet on that front.

That was how the morning was supposed to go. Only when all that was covered did he plan to sit and work out just how he was going to cope being around Karen. How he would act as though nothing had happened between them. But she was all ready there asleep at her desk. It was too soon and he just wasn't prepared.

Karen made another sound causing Foggy to turn back and face her. A devilish smile grew slowly across his face.

"I wonder who she is dreaming about? Maybe it's me?"

"Come on Foggy, just wake her up all ready." Matt didn't like where the conversation was heading. He couldn't know for sure what Karen was dreaming about but her heart rate was crazily similar to how it had been just hours earlier when she had been in his arms.

"Maybe she's thinking about you" Foggy speculated taking another bite of his pastry, but then shook his head thinking of something better.

"Nah" It's probably that Brian guy. With his classy accent and great hair. I bet it is. Even the way he walks is just so cool."

Matt seemed to bristle a little at the idea of Brian. "Well I would much rather it be you dreaming about the guy than Karen"

Foggy looked curiously at his best friend. Somewhere in the statement was an admission of how Matt felt about their secretary. His friend was jealous of the British dude and Foggy still wasn't sure just how he felt about that.

"Please just wake her up Foggy" Matt insisted once again then turned to hide in his office. It was going to be one hell of a long day and maybe by the end of it he will have worked out how to stop thinking about the feel of her soft skin and about the fact that she had been the one who kissed him first.

* * *

 **Prison visitation room**

Wilson Fisk sat behind the glass watching tears fall down his fiancée's face. It was not something he enjoyed seeing and anger grew within him at his inability to comfort her when she needed it.

He had seen this moment coming for a while. Vanessa had been distracted in her last few visits. She was taking on to much.

"I'm so sorry Wilson, I just don't know what to do" she wept

The Kingpin clenched his fists beneath the table feeing pain in watching her suffer. Her head was down and she avoided eye contact believing she had utterly failed him. Maybe he had asked too much of her. She was a good woman. The best in his opinion. Wesley would have normally handled all of this stuff but his friend was dead and there were few others he trusted.

His beautiful bride-to-be had done everything he had asked and so much more, but this one thing had escalated out of control.

"Look at me!" he ordered forcing Vanessa to lift her face to see his calm yet commanding presence.

"All this is easily remedied". He moved closer to the glass and continued

"Now listen carefully and I will tell you exactly what you need to do…"


	7. Chapter 7

**Two weeks after the kiss.**

They were laughing. It was full on, bent over double, stomach-aching laughter.

"Stop, stop it! You're gonna make me pee" Karen struggled to say between breathless wheezes.

That just made Matt and Foggy laugh even more. She watched Foggy grip the side of the small table at Josie's just so he didn't fall off his chair. A simple comment that had set them all off in hysterics hadn't even been that funny. But she supposed that's where the tequila came in.

"Oh..God..This..is.. how.. I'm.. going.. to.. die" Foggy struggled to say. His mouth sore from smiling.

Karen tried to understand how they got to this point. A semi intelligent discussion analyzing the relationship between the Muppet 'Gonzo' and his chicken 'Camilla' led to Foggy innocently referring to Miss Piggy as 'Mrs Pig'. For some reason Mrs Pig just sounded ridiculous, or maybe it was the fact that Foggy had forgotten the name of possibly the most famous glamorous Pig in history. Either way it had made Karen giggle, which in turn made Matt smirk and it went on until they were at their current situation, which was being in pain and close to losing control over bodily functions.

The laughter finally ebbed as Karen leaned forward to swallow another shot of tequila. She glanced over at Matt who was wiping away tears from his eyes under those dark glasses.

"M M M Mrs Pig!" Matt whispered and sent them all into hysterics once more.

That was the final straw for Karen, she couldn't sit there any longer. Standing abruptly she left the table and pushed her way through the crowds of weekend drinkers eventually finding the restrooms. The facilities were a far cry from those in the sports bars and cocktails lounges littered around the city. These were old, heavily covered with graffiti and a scent of urine mixed with cleaning fluid lingered in the air. Inhaling the foul smell was enough to bring her back down and after splashing water on her face a few times from the basin Karen eventually felt calm enough to rejoin her colleagues.

Just before that could happen Karen made her way to the bar. She needed to clear away some of the tequila fug, but the place was busy and she had to wait to be served. The three of them had been in there since mid afternoon. It had been a quiet day at work and that Friday giddiness found them early in the day. Now it was a little after 6pm and the place had filled up with people looking to start their own weekend.

While waiting patiently she looked back at her two friends who were still smiling and talking around the little table in the corner. It had been a hard couple of weeks for Karen. The kiss with Daredevil made it hard to act normally around Matt. She had come so close to telling him many times that she knew how he spent his nights. God she wanted Matt to know how much he meant to her.

But days like this when everything was so great between the three of them re-affirmed the reasons why she agreed to keep his secret. They had the perfect relationship as it was, why would she do anything that might change that.

"What'll you have?" Josie finally called making her turn back to face the bar owner.

"Just a water. Please"

Karen caught her reflection in some glass behind the bar and saw the smile on her face. She looked happy in her mirrored image but there was something in the back of her mind hidden deep that just wouldn't let her feel at peace. A little niggle that wanted to remind her that happiness was not something she deserved.

Then the niggle came over her like a wave. Murderers didn't deserve happiness. Her head thumped as the familiar nightmare of James Wesley smug smile filled her mind. This terrible thing that she had done was eating away at her and time just wasn't making it go away, although she was determined to try.

"You ok sweetie?" Josie asked bringing Karen back from the consuming darkness that had suddenly surrounded her. A shiver raced through her body as she physically shook away the thoughts and eventually manage to smile at the older woman.

"Fine, I'm just fine" she replied taking hold of the cold glass of water and walking back towards her two friends.

Within a few moments Karen was able to put the unsettling moment behind her and was back to her old self. Foggy was off on to a new topic of discussion and as usual they let him steer the conversation. But then his eyes flitted to the front doors.

"O dude don't look now but Mr Wright just walked in, or should I say Mr Right " he joked towards Karen causing her to look back through the crowds to catch Brian's gaze.

The tall handsome gentleman took Karen's fleeting wave as an invitation to come over. She felt a change in the atmosphere around the table and took a moment to look over at her two friends. It suddenly felt a little frosty. The warmth had disappeared from Matt's face and he wore a mask of a smile that hid his true feelings underneath.

"Hello, fancy seeing you here" Brian said on approaching the table.

Karen couldn't help but blush. The guys English accent did something to her and she couldn't help but react to it.

"Well I'm actually glad I bumped into you. it's saves me swinging by the office"

"What do you need at the office? Mr Akthar's case is all finished now. He's a free man thanks in part to you so there's nothing else we need from you" Foggy said sounding a little defensive.

"No, no it's not for business I just wanted to ask Karen if she would like to have dinner with me" Brian answered Foggy, but all the time staring down at the beautiful blonde.

"Oh!…..Erm" Karen couldn't seem to find an answer.

In truth she had been so wrapped up with Matt Murdock that dating someone else hadn't even been a consideration. But maybe it was exactly what was needed. All this stuff with Matt was getting harder. She understood that he was keeping secrets so that he could protect his friendship and keep her safe, but being close to him all the time was doing her no good. Karen was always on the verge of trying to kiss him again or telling him that she knew who he was. If she had a distraction maybe it would help clear the line of friendship between them.

After all, Matt still had that nurse - Claire, and even Foggy had Marci. Surely it was time for her to have a little fun too.

She looked up at the tall, sexy foreigner and decided on her answer. "Yes, yes I would like to have dinner with you"

Brian Wright stayed for a few more minutes agreeing plans to take Karen out the following evening then excused himself leaving the three remaining friends. For once there was silence around the table and she watched as Matt quickly swallowed down another shot of tequila.

He was jealous. She could see it plainly in his face. In fact she recognised the expression as one she sported herself anytime the name Claire Temple was mentioned. And seeing that pained expression made her once again want to tell him the truth and she desperately wished there was a way she could.

Foggy broke the silence and the awkwardness by thumping his fist hard against the table.

"Well I'm staying out for the duration. But I've had enough of tequila, who wants to come and find the green fairy with me?" he asked eagerly waiting for someone to agree to join him.

"I'm out" Karen said holding her hands up in defeat.

"Count me in" Matt replied causing Foggy to stand and declare his gratitude.

"Yesss!. Nelson and Murdock are about to own this city" he called, hands raised high as he turned and pushed his way to the bar.

Karen laughed then stood to leave. She really couldn't afford a hangover if she was to prepare for her big date tomorrow so announced her departure to Matt, bending and giving him a quick kiss on the top of the head.

Straightening back up something suddenly came to mind and she pulled an old book from her bag. Inside was a passage that if Matt ever read would reveal everything she wanted to tell him. But of course he would be unable to read it because it wasn't in brail. So this was Karen's perfect way of telling him everything without _actually_ telling him. She stealthily moved around Matt and slipped the book inside his file bag feeling a little lighter in the heart and then quietly made her way home.

* * *

 **The next day**

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Matt awoke not sure if the knocking was coming from his head or from the front door.

After listening a little longer he realised it was the door and he slowly and delicately pulled himself out of bed to go and let in whomever had come to annoy him.

Managing to stand upright he shuffled slowly in the direction of the noise. God! He felt rough. He hadn't felt this bad since college. After what seemed like the longest walk of his life Matt finally made it to the latch, flicked it open and was greeted by Claire.

"Finally. I've been knocking for ages….Hey you don't look good are you in pain?" she asked making a move towards him but Matt just waved her away.

"Self inflicted" he confessed whilst making his way to the kitchen. He fumbled around for a glass and poured some water. His hand shook as he brought the cold relief to his lips.

"I did ring a few times to check on you but you didn't answer the calls. You really should pick up your phone Matt"

"So I've been told"

"Well I was on my way to work so thought I would come and check in, make sure you weren't half dead somewhere again"

"I'm fine Claire." Matt's replies were a little short but he really wasn't feeling up to a lengthy discussion.

"What did you get up to last night, to put you in such a state?"

Matt leaned back against the kitchen counter and thought about that for a moment. There was little he remembered after the absinthe. A memory flashed through his head of arm wrestling a guy with huge biceps and another memory of him making light sabre sounds with his white cane. Other than that the night was largely a blank.

He did remember Karen though. Much earlier in the evening. That laugh of hers was so infectious and beautiful, just like the rest of her. He remembered listening to the beat of her heart as she stood by the bar. He'd singled out the sound through the din of the crowded room. It relaxed him. When he could hear that regulated sound he knew Karen was safe and was close by.

Then those beats fluctuated and he knew she had evoked a bad memory. He had heard it before. Something was bothering her but she kept it secret. He wanted to shake the confession from her just so he could help her through it, but he knew that it was none of his business. She would confide in him when she was ready.

The last thing Matt remembered from the evening was 'Brian'. He hated that guy. He hated the flirty lilt he heard in Karen's voice whenever she spoke to him. He hated the fact that he couldn't do anything to stop her agreeing to go out with him.

Great! now his hangover felt even worse.

"Earth calling Matt!" Claire called out trying to rouse the zoned out lawyer.

"Sorry Claire, what were you saying"

"I was asking you when you started reading books?"

Books?

"Yeah like the one you have next to your laptop on the counter"

Matt couldn't recall having a book out and he delved deep into his memories for an answer.

Then it came to him. Karen had slipped something into his bag. She had moved so quietly but he could smell her perfume and hear her shallow breaths pass by him as she fumbled with his bag. He didn't know the meaning of the book and wasn't sure he wanted Claire to examine it just yet, so he spoke quickly.

"Oh, that book. You can just leave it there. I think someone accidentally dropped it in my bag when I was on the subway. It was pretty crowded."

"Ok, that makes sense. I was about to say I didn't realise you were a poetry kind of guy"

"Poetry?" that intrigued Matt . Why would Karen leave a _poetry_ book in his bag?. He suddenly did a one-eighty on letting Claire examine the book. He needed to know what was going on.

"Yeah, it looks well read. Pretty old volume and one page is bookmarked…..Oh! I love that one" he heard Claire say listening as she flicked through the pages.

"Read it to me" Matt asked sounding a little flirty while he walked over to the table and took a seat still nursing the glass of water in his hands.

Claire coughed and made herself comfortable and read out te Charlotte Bronte poem.

 _The human heart had hidden treasures,_

 _In secret kept, in silence sealed,_

 _The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures,_

 _Whose charms were broken if revealed._

She spoke lovingly and seemed to cherish the words as they were spoken but Matt just felt an icy stream flow through him.

"Read that last line again" he demanded. Claire frowned suddenly seeing concern in Matt's face.

" _Whose charms were broken if revealed"_ she repeated, studying the words trying to understand what Matt could hear hidden in them.

"Matt did someone leave this book on purpose? Has someone worked out who you are?"

He couldn't speak. The answer to that question was 'Hell Yes' someone had definitely worked out who he was but not in the way Claire was thinking. He could hear the worry in her tone. She imagined that the person was some bad guy set out to do him harm, but it was worse than that. It was Karen Page who had discovered the truth.

At that point his brain checked-out of the conversation with Claire. His body worked on autopilot. He answered the questions she asked - whatever they had been. He let her check on his old injuries and she massaged a stiff shoulder that he presumed had come from his arm wrestling antics. Matt put her mind to rest that no bad guys had discovered he was daredevil then he had lightly kissed her goodbye as she left for work.

But all the while his mind was throbbing with confusing thoughts. That poem, that last line had been the words Karen uttered the night he had kissed her. Which meant she had known all this time who he was.

Matt could feel his heart in his throat threatening to cut off his breathing. The hangover was making the revelations so much harder to handle. He knelt down on the floor somehow hoping the expanse of cold ground could help him control his thoughts from spinning out of control.

Karen now knew that he was Daredevil and that put her in danger. _He_ had put her in danger and Foggy would kill him for that if he ever found out.

But in amongst all the panic his brain kept bringing back the night they made out and the realisation that Karen hadn't just been kissing some masked guy who had saved her life. She had known it was him. She had been kissing him - Matt Murdock. The way she moved her lips, those little breathless moans, the way her hands tightened around his arms when she pulled him closer. It had all been for him.

And he had just let her agree to date the good-looking Brit. God! he hated that guy.

* * *

 **That night**

Daredevil sat on a roof top listening to the sounds of the city. Ready to pounce into action. He needed to hit something or someone repeatedly. He had spent the afternoon pounding on a heavy bag at Fogwell's gym. It eased some of the stress he was feeling but it was repetitive and unfortunately didn't stop his mind from wandering back to Karen.

So he was out in the city looking for a fight. It was raining which was a good thing. The rain made things harder for him. It was like trying to make out a conversation through a veil of white noise. It meant that he had to concentrate more in order to make use of his senses. And the more he concentrated the less he had to think about Karen having dinner with _Brian_.

It was then that he heard the sound of a woman screaming some distance away. Daredevil darted in the direction across the slippery roof tops to hear more clearly. There was a struggle, the woman was battling against another person and it was happening directly below him.

Somehow Daredevil knew this wasn't some one off incident. He couldn't explain how he knew, but he was sure the woman below was the next victim of the person killing blondes in the city.

He had found the fight he desperately needed. With that knowledge, Daredevil, a man without fear launched himself off the roof-top straight into the screams of the battle.

* * *

 **Final Chapter coming up next...**


	8. Chapter 8 - Final Chapter

**Here is the end. Just want to Thank everyone again who has taken their precious time to read and review this story. It really has meant a lot to me. So...see what you think and please let me know.**

* * *

It had all been a trap. A half dozen lynch men had lured Daredevil into an abandoned factory floor. Old metal machine parts were scattered across the vast space and he was pretty sure it was one of those parts that had knocked him unconscious. He had entered the fight determined to save the girl and it must have been something that solid to eventually put a stop to him. He had unleashed Hell in that room and taught them all his family mantra: Murdock's always got back up.

He went on to prove the point by rousing from unconsciousness, dizzy with the taste of copper in his mouth ready to go another round.

"Where's the girl?" he spat out, blood dripping from his lips. His body trying to pull itself off the ground.

The few men still able to stand, backed off and Daredevil heard the click of high heels and the waft of expensive perfume glide through the room. He knew even before he heard the exotic accent who was there.

"Good evening Mr ….Daredevil" Vanessa Marianna greeted.

He steadied himself, swaying slightly and repeated the earlier question. "Where's the girl?"

"There is no girl Mr Daredevil, I needed to see you and Wilson told me if I set a trap you would come.

Daredevil took a number of deep breaths trying to calm a growing rage. Why did people think that imitating violent crimes was a good way of getting his attention? He wiped more blood away from his face and turned to walk away before he did something he would regret.

"Please! I need your help!" Vanessa called out. Daredevil was not about to be a pawn in Fisk's games but the slight note of desperation in her voice made him stop.

"Why do you stand by that man's side? You've seen the things he has done. How do you do it?" Daredevil begged. The memory of meeting the intelligent and very sexy woman at the art gallery coming to the forefront of his mind.

"I stick with Wilson because I believe in him Mr Daredevil. I can see what he wants for this city. Hell's Kitchen is a hole that can not be saved by good men or hero's. It needs someone willing to get the job done no matter the cost."

Daredevil took a step back as those words soaked in. He truly wanted to believe that good men could get the job done but he had doubts that he was one of them. The journey he'd embarked on had taken him to a lot darker places than expected.

"Whatever help you need, find someone else" he announced, once again heading to the door. He was done being played for the night.

"I have tried someone else. I have tried everyone else. Please help me?"

He stopped once more and Vanessa didn't wait for him to turn and face her before starting to explain her situation. Daredevil could sense that she would stop him from leaving until he had heard the story, even if it meant another chunk of metal to the face.

"I have a colleague whose skills made him very useful in organising some of Wilson's business ventures. Over the last couple of months Mr Oxley has become invaluable to Mr Fisk's future."

Daredevil listened, quickly fitting together the pieces of what he was being told with the facts he'd all ready picked up from the street. The key bit of information seem to be the name - Oxley, or more importantly the 'Ox' part.

"Is this Mr Oxley also known as The Box?" he enquired, Vanessa confirmed it to be the case.

"So, when you say organising business ventures. What you mean is he has been supplying guns to the Irish to guarantee they succeed in winning the drug war." Abhorrence was clear in this tone.

"It is more complicated than that"

"If that's what you want to believe" Daredevil spat back

Vanessa ignored the disproval and continued with the story.

"Wilson has been very keen to find the person who killed his friend James Wesley. I learned a while back that the guilty party may well be a young woman with blonde hair. Mr Fisk gave me a list of people who might fit the bill." she paused taking a shaky breath before continuing

"I gave that list to Mr Oxley. To find the killer and bring the woman responsible to me. But I didn't realise that he had been very good friends with Wesley, the task was quite personal for him. Now I can't seem to stop him. Brian has taken matters into his own hands and has gone rogue."

Daredevil's head snapped round. Only one word amongst all the others stood out in that tale.

"Did you say Brian?"

"Yes Brian Oxley. Apparently they met overseas whilst serving in the forces."

Daredevil felt winded. No…No it couldn't be. There must be hundreds of Brian's in the city. It was a fairly common name, right? But regardless he couldn't help but ask his next question.

"Does….Does Brian Oxley happen to have a British Accent?

* * *

Karen sat at the restaurant table across from her date. She sipped an after dinner coffee feeling fully sated. The food had been amazing and she made a mental note to drag Foggy there at some point in the future. Brian Wright was sitting opposite, leaning back in his chair watching as she lifted the hot drink to her lips. He had been a great date Karen observed. A natural conversationalist and someone she could happily sit and listen to all night.

"How do you come to be in Hell's Kitchen anyway? It's a long way from home" She enquired effortlessly moving the discussion into a new direction.

Brian idly ran a finger round the rim of his wine glass, for once taking time before answering. It made Karen wonder if the story may not be an easy one to tell. Eventually he looked across the table and answered.

"I came here to work for an old friend. I served along side him a number of years ago in the Navy, then out of the blue I received a call asking me to come out here and give him a hand."

For a moment Karen was a little confused. During the Akhtar case she thought he said he owned a coffee shop. Surely if that was the case then he worked for himself not for someone else.

"Do you still work with him?" she enquired hoping to clarify the situation. Brian looked down at his wine glass and shook his head.

"No, he was killed, not so long ago"

"Was it in the line of duty?"

"No he was murdered, here in Hell's Kitchen."

"Oh God, that's terrible, I'm so sorry" Karen genuinely expressed, placing her hand on top of Brian's for comfort.

"It is terrible, I miss him a great deal." He took hold of the hand Karen had offered in comfort and squeezed it gently.

"You know, you might actually know him. I think he once said he had some dealings with your law firm." his eyes slowly lifted from the table to look at her directly.

"Really, what was his name?"

"His name was James Wesley"

A cold shiver of sickness hit Karen full on as she sat and tried not to show a reaction. It was then she noticed that the twinkling eyes he had used to look upon her all evening had turned to a steely gaze, and it dawned on her that she may have seriously misjudged who Mr Brian Wright was.

* * *

Foggy answered the ringing cell phone in his pocket. It was Matt!

"Hey buddy, what's going…"

"We need to find Karen, right now!" Matt blurted down the line. The inflection instantly told Foggy the seriousness of the request.

"Why, what's going on?"

He listened to Matt bullet-point Vanessa Marianna's tale, all the while feeling a bubbling anger growing inside him.

He knew something like this would happen. He knew eventually Matt's vigilante exploits would put one of them in danger. The fact it was Karen suggested something had been going on between his two friends and the bad guys were using her to get to Daredevil. God damn it Matt!

He hung up after organising a plan to find Karen. Matt believed that 'Brian' or 'The Box' wouldn't have taken Karen far. He remembered the girl who worked at the Bulletin with Ben Urich was found dead just across the street, and Claire told him one of the girls who died at the hospital was related to the Russians and was found in the tea-rooms where she worked.

Matt agreed to start at her apartment if Foggy swung by the office. He paced around his own apartment for a minute praying she was safe then grabbed his jacket before opening the door to leave. Then Foggy made a quick detour to the closet to retrieve his trusty baseball bat.

Foggy entered the building and climbed the stairs to reach the office but fell short when a scuffle come from a supposedly empty unit further down the corridor. He gripped the bat a little tighter and held his breath hoping that would aid his hearing.

He promised Matt to stay safe and call if he discovered anything. That plan lasted all of three seconds when he heard a weak scream that had to be the blonde and he barged straight through the door, the bat all ready swinging through the air.

Growing up in Hell's Kitchen made kids fearless. Foggy hadn't thought twice before storming that room but after a few solid contacts with the man in question, Brian easily took control and sent Foggy to the floor with a number of hard punches. The lawyer crouched on his hands and knees dazed from the hits but still functioning. He realised that 'The Box' may not have just been a clever play on the guys name but more his ability to punch like a heavy weight.

He felt Brian pull him to his feet and hold him close to his chest. His arm wrapped around Foggy's throat.

"I'm so glad you're here Mr Nelson, I was just asking Karen a few questions that she's struggling to answer. I'm hoping that your presence will help gee her up"

Foggy looked out in front of him and saw Karen crumpled on the floor, her hands tied to the radiator. For a moment he was envious of Matt. His friend may have the 'world on fire' thing going on, but at least he would still be spared the image of the blondes battered and bruised body.

"All you need to do is admit you are the one who murdered my friend and I will let Mr Nelson go free". Brian ranted across the room while gripping Foggy even tighter as he waited for an answer.

Karen could barely speak as she looked up at the two of them stood there. Foggy struggled to push away not understanding what was happening. What was he shouting about? Karen hadn't killed anyone.

"Don't hurt him, please" Karen managed to whimper

"Then admit what you did"

Karen lifted her head and looked straight at Foggy, her eyes full of regret and sorrow as she spoke.

"Ok, I did it, I killed James Wesley. He was trying to blackmail me so I shot him in the chest repeatedly. Now please let Foggy go" she pleaded, tears pouring down her cheeks.

Foggy was vaguely aware the grip around his neck tightening but his thoughts were working through what he had just heard. Karen had killed Wesley? Could that have really been true? Her remorseful face would suggest it was the case. He realised the situation had nothing to do with Matt. This wasn't someone trying to get to Daredevil, to hurt him. This was a situation Karen had managed to get herself into, and none of them had realised what she had been hiding all this time. God they could have helped her through it. Why hadn't she told them?

He pushed against Brian trying to get free but the man was just too strong and the grip grew tighter still, until his vision faded and there was only darkness.

* * *

"Nooo, you said you would let him go" Karen cried out as she watched her friends body crumble to the ground.

She made no attempt to free herself. All the pain was deserved. She had killed a man and you just couldn't get away with that. All this time she had argued the case against Wilson Fisk. He was a bad man because he had killed his father. Karen had never concerned her self with the reasons behind that incident. Never considered that his father may have been a bad man, or that the child - Wilson had done it through fear. Now she done the exact same thing. God! she deserved everything she got.

"I knew the second I said Wesley's name in the restaurant that it was you. I have finally found the right one" a kind of glee in his tone as he spoke, but Karen's body and mind was beyond caring now.

She waited for the final blow when door flew open almost off his hinges with such a bang she thought there had been a gun shot. Daredevil stood in the doorway and his whole body pulsed with a kind of anger Karen had never seen before.

* * *

Daredevil slammed into Brian, his baton's flying through the air making contact forcefully with his assailant. Brian Oxley managed to block and few hits and send some of his own back to the masked man. They fought viciously across the room, equally skilled, but Daredevil would not yield this fight. It was personal. The two most important people in his life were in that room and Brian Oxley had hurt them both, and he was going to pay.

A momentarily lack in concentration brought the full force of Brian's fist crash against the side of his head. Daredevil fell to the floor, ringing in his ear growing louder as he fought to stay conscious. He stayed there a moment trying to shake away for the high pitched sound from his ears. It took a minute and then he heard the thud of Foggy's Louisville Slugger scrape across the floor towards him.

Daredevil managed to turn just in time to block the bat coming at him and took a hold, spinning the wood so that it gave a painful blow back to Brian. He hit him a second time with the bat until Brian Oxley was down on the floor. Now Daredevil had the upper hand and that's the way it's stayed.

Kneeling over the guy, Daredevil pulled his gloves off wanting to feel the man's face smack against his knuckles. He hit him hard, then again, and again. Then just didn't stop all the time only vaguely aware of the voice behind him begging him to cease.

"Please Stop" Karen cried out across the room as she watched the sickening act of violence in front of her.

"You have to stop now"

"Matt!", she screamed. "He's unconscious. You have to stop or you'll kill him"

The sound of his name brought him back. It was the first time someone had called him Matt while he was dressed in the suit. It reminded him that as much as he would like to be two separate people that lived by different rules. He wasn't. He was Matt Murdock and want ever he did as Daredevil it was Matt that would have to shoulder the consequences.

Pulling off the mask, Matt took a minute to compose himself then he clambered over to where Karen sat still tied to the radiator. He lifted his hands to help her but she pulled away.

"Foggy, check on Foggy first, I can wait" she insisted and Matt shuffled over to his best friend. He was breathing steadily and nothing seemed broken or crushed. Matt exhaled shakily thanking God his partner was fine. It appeared he was put into a sleeper-hold or something similar.

Moving back to Karen and reassuring her that Foggy was going to be ok, he freed the ties binding her to the radiator. She crumbled into his arms and he felt the weakness of her body curl into his. She trembled as he sat back against the wall and wrapped himself around the girl that had become so important to him.

The scent of her blood and tears filled his senses as he smoothed away hair from her face. What a mess all this had been.

"We'll get through this Karen. I'll help you through his" he said placing a kiss softly on her head. He realised then just how much he loved her. This seemingly sweet beautiful girl was full of secrets and he knew being with her would eventually lead him into more trouble. But that wasn't going to stop him keeping her close.

"Have you ever killed anyone?" he heard Karen whisper against his chest.

The short answer would be No, but if he thought about it, then it was less clear. Tonight he had come very close. He had also tried to kill Fisk but someone had got in the way. There had been others who had died and he had played a part in their inevitable end. There had been Nobu, the Russian, others who worked for Fisk. All dead in part to him.

There had been a moment when Matt thought putting Fisk away would solve all their problems. But he could see now how wrong he had been. Brian Oxley was the first, but others like him would follow. People who would want to deliver their own brand of justice and punishment and Matt would have to be ready to stop them. All the while that line he had not yet crossed forever getting closer.

He pulled Karen tight, kissed her once again and felt her shaky breath against his neck. He couldn't answer her question so chose to stay silent. He wasn't sure where his relationship with Karen would lead or how that would affect his friendship with Foggy. But he knew if they were to survive they needed to stick together and make sure there were no more secrets between them.


End file.
